A personal video conferencing hardware device is generally a product or device that may be positioned on a desktop or table of a video conference participant. The personal video conferencing hardware device provides a video conferencing endpoint for that participant.
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. A codec encodes a data stream or signal for transmission, storage or encryption, or decodes it for playback or editing. Codecs are used in videoconferencing, streaming media and video editing applications. A video camera's analog-to-digital converter(ADC) converts its analog signals into digital signals, which are then passed through a video compressor for digital transmission or storage. A receiving device then runs the signal through a video decompressor. The term codec may also used as a generic name for a videoconferencing unit/device.
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference (also known as a video conference or videoteleconference) by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video, audio and data transmissions. The core technology used in a videoconferencing system is digital compression of audio and video streams in real time. The hardware or software that performs compression is called a codec(coder/decoder). Other components required for a videoconferencing system may include: Video input: one or more video HD camera, or DVI input, or webcam; Video output: computer monitor, television or projector, or one or more high resolution monitor/PC displays/projectors; Audio input: microphones, CD/DVD player, cassette player, or any other source of PreAmp audio outlet, including any analog or digital or HD audio inputs; Audio output—usually loudspeakers associated with the display device or telephone, or any digital/analog/usb audio output; Audio/video/data transfer: on a digital network, LAN or Internet; and Computer—a data processing unit that ties together the other components, does the compressing and decompressing, and initiates and maintains the data linkage via the network. The video conferencing device may be a generic Software application running on a generic computer or, as in the case of the XTE, no computer at all is involved. An embedded hardware device hosts the codec functionalities, the input/output drivers and the network connectivity. It maintains the audio/video/data communication via the network with the remote peers.